It's surprising only because we fully expect McFadden to land elsewhere on the heels of an injury-marred, six-year run with the Raiders. Starting just 19 games over the past two seasons, the 26-year-old runner has cratered with back-to-back seasons that saw him rush for just 3.3 yards per carry.

McFadden's finest year as a pro came in 2011, when he rumbled for 5.4 yards per attempt under then-Raiders coach Hue Jackson, who employed a downhill, run-heavy scheme that saw Oakland jump out to a 7-4 start before melting down the stretch.

With Jackson now embedded with the Bengals as the team's new offensive play-caller, Cincinnati looms as a logical landing spot for McFadden. When healthy, he's a more intriguing runner than BenJarvus Green-Ellis and would make for a tantalizing duo with Giovani Bernard -- that is, if he can stay out of the trainers' room.